Academics Say Nelson Vetoes Were Censorship

THREE academics at the Australian National University have evidence that the former education minister Brendan Nelson stopped their research projects from being funded even after their grant proposals had been approved by the Australian Research Council.

How Nelson Gagged Researchers

Letters to academics who missed out on grants provide the first evidence of what research the Government was so loath to fund, writes Harriet Alexander.

Just Plain Bad Manners

Plagiarism has never been an easy concept to pin down, but academics, rather than hapless students, should be the focus of widespread concern about the practice, says Dale Spender.

Turnbull's $10m For 'rainmakers' With No Proof

THE Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is giving a $10 million boost to research promoted by a rainmaking company part-owned by Rupert Murdoch's nephew Matt Handbury, despite scientific experts hired by the Government stating the firm had provided "no convincing data" to support the technology. The $10 million will fund the Australian Rain Corporation and academics from the University of Queensland to undertake a trial of so-called "rainfall enhancement technology", a highly controversial ...

Academics' Access To Awas Cut

WHILE the Federal Government has attacked academics whose study of WorkChoices it disagrees with, it has also stopped researchers from getting crucial information to study the effects of the industrial relations system.

Too Busy With Smear Tactics To Note Workers' Real Needs

'Affable" Joe Hockey reverted to usual form this week when he vilified four academics who produced a massive study on working life in Australia. The study cast doubts on the Work Choices revolution, so Hockey did what Hockey does best: attack the person, not the argument.

Academics See Lawyers Over Hockey Slur

JOHN HOWARD has distanced himself from his Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey, who is the target of possible legal action by two academics after he branded them "former trade union officials parading as academics". Sydney University's John Buchanan and Brigid van Wanrooy, who have never been employed by unions, yesterday met lawyers who told them they had a strong case against Mr Hockey and the Treasurer, Peter Costello.

Authors Threaten To Sue Hockey

AUTHORS of a report revealing employees on Australian Workplace Agreements are earning $106 less than other workers are preparing to sue the Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey, who branded them "former trade union officials who are parading as academics".

Turning A Dollar From Research

Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and Charles Darwin's The Origin of the Species would have struggled to survive had the present demands on academics to commercialise research applied in the past. Keeli Cambourne examines the state of play in the intellectual property debate at universities.